Trouble
by Suni-Dlight
Summary: It was just supposed to be a simple interview but who knew something so simple could change your life forever.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of True Blood.**

**A/N: Hey! So I really wanted to do another True Blood story. In this, I will focus on a few characters from the books so there might be creatures and people you don't recognize. It's okay, you know! Lol so enjoy and let me know what you think.**

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><p>I prided myself on having good ideas.<p>

Continually getting good grades in school? Good idea.

Getting my degree in Journalism? Good idea.

Moving to Shreveport where they were in desperate need of fantastic journalist such as myself? Brilliant idea.

That's why I most definitely knew this was not a good idea.

I sat at the table, watching Samantha and Trina, the writers of the Home Improvement and Relationship sections of the _Shreveport Gazette_, respectively, dance provocatively on the floor, trying to catch the eye of a vampire. It was a bad idea to meet them here, to have them be my back up and support. Had I known that they would go so wild, I would have just come by myself.

Not that I ever would have.

The "Life in Shreveport" column, _my _column, was supposed to be top notch reporting, getting the facts, telling the city what they wanted to know about their city and the people they knew. This, coming out here to interview a vampire about his business was not my idea of top notch reporting. Ever since vampires showed up, my article and I have become nothing more than glorified travel guides.

In the years that had gone passed, especially living in Louisiana within driving distance of New Orleans, I have seen my fair share of vampires and so have Samantha and Trina, which is why I didn't understand why they had been so ecstatic for this little trip to the bar. Our editor had asked me to check out this vampire bar, _Fangtasia_, and interview the owner. He had called ahead and I was expected. Obviously, that didn't mean anything to Mr. Northman who had yet to see me though I had shown up plenty early, before his bar opened and the patrons started to show up.

This would be my first interview with a vampire. Though there were plenty of hotspots for them, considering the crowd, this bar seemed to be worth the level of "Five Fangs". It was cliché, I thought, the walls a velvety black and red, the vampires who were present dressed in clothes you would have thought only existed in movies and books. I suppose that's what made this place "Fangtastic". It was crowded and people, tourists and locals alike, came for the allure of danger.

Oh, that's definitely going in my article.

As I reached into my purse for my notepad, a shadow fell across my table. Looking up I met the eyes of a man – a vampire. He leered down at me, brown eyes glittering under a mop of brown hair. A blue t-shirt clung to his arms and chest without making him look too bulgy and his jeans were loose, but in a very good way. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought he was human, but there was something about his eyes. He was tall, lean, handsome . . . and drastically scary.

"Well aren't you gorgeous?" he murmured, sliding into the booth next to me.

I tried to inch away without him noticing it. I didn't think I looked all that gorgeous. We had come straight here from work, meaning I certainly didn't fit in with the capes and fake fangs and fake blood. I wore tan, high waist slacks and a light, blue flowery top, matching stilettos on my feet. So cute and chic? Oh, without a doubt. Otherwise, I didn't understand why this vampire had chosen me out of this crowd of beautiful women.

His left arm slid around the back of my booth, over my shoulders while his right hand stretched out towards me. "Name's Mathias . . . or just Matt, if you wish."

He was asking for my hand? According to Samantha, vampires didn't shake hands. She had said when I got in front of Mr. Northman, I was to bow my head and not look him in the eye. Even still, I slid my hand into his and he held on, raising it so that he could brush his lips against my knuckles. "Has anyone told you that you smell wonderful? Almost like a warm campfire?"

'A warm campfire'? What the hell century was this guy from? I withdrew my hand, smiling slightly. "Not recently, I'm afraid."

Mathias chuckled, moving closer. "I like you. What's your name, love?"

Well, I definitely didn't want to tell him my name. I had read somewhere that when you told a Vampire your name, it gave them more control over you. I have no clue how true that was but I certainly did want to test it today. But I was horrible at lying and I was pretty sure they could sense that too. "It's, um –"

"Ms. Conner." Both Mathias and I looked up at the woman who I recognized as the Vampire who had let me into the bar. She was very pretty I thought, a slim and bouncy blond with clear blue eyes. It would only figure that she wore this very nice designer pink suit, her heels higher than even mine. She eyed Mathias for a moment before looking to me. Clearly, being the 'go-get-em' girl was not what she wanted to be doing this evening. She crossed her arms and said in a bored voice, "Mr. Northman will see you now. Please hurry; we're on a tight schedule."

Tight schedule, my ass. If they were on such a tight schedule, then I wouldn't have been sitting here all night. Of course I didn't say any of this. I slid from the booth, thankfully away from Mathias even though he was still leering at me as I followed Pam through the crowds towards the back of the bar. Someone grabbed my ass I was sure of it but I tried to keep moving as if nothing happened. Samantha and Trina were still gyrating on the dance floor and I thought I might let them have their fun. As soon as this interview was over, we would be leaving.

We walked down a hallway with four doors, two for the bathroom, one I assumed was a supply closet and then the fourth, which Pam pulled open. "Be sure to be entertaining," she said, giving me a sarcastic smile. "Mr. Northman doesn't like to be bored."

I wanted to swallow, let my eyes grow wide, gasp . . . all the things you normally did when you were scared or nervous. But instead I smiled and nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

I reached into my purse, pulling out my notepad, pen, and recorder. The door behind me closed and I looked up at, realizing way to late that I should have forced either Samantha or Trina to come in here with me.

The man sitting at the desk didn't glance at me. He just continued to scribble notes and numbers at his desk. I stayed by the door, not sure what to do. I didn't want to move without permission. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft but decidedly strong. "You would be Ms. Eden Conner, correct?"

"From the _Shreveport Gazette_, yes," I said, trying to keep my voice positive.

"Well, it's probably hard to conduct an interview standing at the door, if I'm not mistaken."

I tried not to act indignant, even though that's what I was. Why not just ask me to take a seat rather than practically insult me? I gave my head a quick shake, moving to the chair in front of his desk and taking a seat. From what I could see, he was handsome, his blond hair brushed back but a few pieces falling over his forehead. He was hunched in the chair in a way that made me think he might be tall. Tall men were, by default, a plus to me, considering I graced 5'8" and that was without heels.

Considering Mr. Northman continued to write, I scribbled some things about his club and the décor down on my notepad, pressing play on my recorder. "You have a very great operation going on here, Mr. Northman."

The vampire glanced up at me, his bright blue eyes intense. "You think so?"

"Oh yes." I leaned forward. If there was one thing I knew how to do, it was flatter someone.. "I've never seen an establishment fill like yours in just the first hour. May I ask, how exactly do you draw in costumers?"

Eric Northman leaned forward as well, folding his hands together and placing his chin on top of them. "Let me counter you with a question of my own, Ms. Conner. . . . What drew your friends here with you?"

I tapped the end of my pen against my chin, looking away from his piercing gaze. Looking down, I scribbled some notes. "I see your point," I murmured.

"What about you, Ms. Conner?" the vampire said. "What drew you to our bar?"

Holding up my notepad, I gave him a slight smile. "It's all just in a day's work, Mr. Northman. What exactly encouraged you to open _Fangtasia_?"

Mr. Northman gave me a chilling grin. "When you have so many willing people looking to venture in among us, why not?"

It was all I could do not to shake my head. Of course, while the signs were up, warning about no biting on the premises, that certainly didn't stop those from trying and I'm sure Eric Northman didn't enforce the rules. "While people honestly love _Fangtasia_, it seems to be those employed here that draw them in, mainly you. Would you mind telling me a little about your past?"

"Depends on what you want to know," he said, leaning back in his seat. "It's quite a long past."

"Well, would it be impolite to ask how old you are?"

Again, Eric Northman smiled. "I'm one-thousand years old."

"'One thousand years'," I repeated in surprise. "The things you must have seen."

"You wouldn't believe me if I even begin to try and tell you, Ms. Conner." He picked up his own pin, tapping it on his desk. "Do you have any more questions for me?"

Of course I had tons more questions. Who wouldn't for a thousand year old vampire? But I wasn't stupid. I could easily tell when I was being dismissed. "You aren't one for interviews are you."

His smile was tight this time. "How did you guess?"

"Well, I appreciate your time, Mr. Northman," I said, dropping my things back into my purse. "Your input was wonderful. I'm sure this will make a great article."

Standing I nodded at him, making my way to the door. Just as I pulled it open, it was pushed shut and I spun around, my brain not wanting to comprehend how Eric Northman had gotten out of his seat so quickly but knowing that it was indeed possible for him. He gazed down at me, bending down slightly so that he could look into my eyes. "I hope it won't be too much trouble for you to send me a copy of your article before it's published."

I was practically pressing myself into the door. Yes, it was definitely time to grab Samantha and Trina and get the hell out of here. Never again, I promised myself, would I step foot into another vampire establishment. "Not a problem at all, Mr. Northman."

"Good." With that he stepped back and I turned back around, pulling the door open and hurrying out.

Instead of rushing out of there, I hurried to the bathroom, urging myself not to throw up as I peered into the mirror. Though I still looked well put together, my black curls pulled back away from my face in a busy ponytail, makeup un-smudge, my caramel skin seemed pale though it felt flushed, my pupils dilated . . . was that sweat popping up on my forehead? I grabbed a paper towel, running cool water over it so that I could dab my cheeks, rouge be damned. Closing my eyes, I ran the towel over my neck.

"Well, isn't this enticing?" My eyes snapped open but before I could even scream, Mathias had wrapped his hand around my mouth, pulling me backwards into a stall. My purse fell on the floor as I struggled, trying to get away out of his grasp, his free arm wrapping around my waist. I heard his fangs drop and he turned my head so that he could press his lips against my neck, taking a deep breath. "You're going to taste wonderful."

His fangs plunged into my neck. There was nothing but pain as sucked my blood. I tried to grab control of myself, knowing that the more I flailed about, the more painful I would make. He withdrew for a moment, pressing me tight against him as he exhaled. I could feel his arousal against me and I started to sob as he reached for the buckle on my pants. "Your blood is so warm."

His hand was sliding down the top of my slacks, resting just above my bellybutton. I placed my hands against his arms, trying once again to get him to let go of me.

And then he started screaming.

It started low at first, confused, but then it got more intense. He pushed me away from him and I landed on the floor as he scratched at his arms. The acrid smell of burning flesh reached my news and I realized, horrified, that he was catching on fire. Reaching over, I grabbed my purse, scrambling to get to my feet. With a growl, Mathias came rushing for me again and I placed my hands on his chest this time. He backed away, howling as his shirt caught fire but I didn't let go. This beast not only forcefully drank my blood but he tried to _rape_ me. I grabbed his face.

How was this happening?

His skin was melting under my fingertips. I let go and Mathias fell to the floor. Smoke was starting to fill up the small bathroom, drifting to a fire alarm. There was a click and the alarm started to buzz. In front of me, Mathias was rolling around trying to put out his flames but nothing was working. He looked up at me once before he stopped moving.

That's when sprinklers came on.

Not taking a second look I urged myself to run. I don't know what I just did, or how in the world I did it but I knew that this was bad, completely horrible, worse than giving _Fangtasia_ a bad review.

I just _killed_ a vampire and definitely not in the normal way.

Inside the bar, people were pushing and yelling, white and red face paint streaming down their faces, velvet capes ruined. The office door flew open and Eric Northman came out, eyes fierce, dripping wet like the rest of us. He turned his head and looked at me, eyes drifting down to my neck which I guess would still be bleeding but when I raised my hand to cover my wound . . . I didn't feel anything.

What the hell was happening to me?

Just as Eric took a step towards me, I moved, trying to blend in with the crowd. I don't ever remember moving so fast in my life but somehow, I made it through the crowd and out the door in record time. I know I should have searched for Samantha and Trina but I couldn't have been more glad that we took separate cars.

I fumbled through my purse for the keys to the black jeep that was waiting for me in the front of the parking lot, simultaneously taking off my shoes so that I could move faster. People weren't spilling out of the bar yet and I wondered what the vampires were doing? Glamoring them?

The door to the bar flew open and I dropped everything as Eric appeared in front of me, grabbing my upper arms. His fangs were dropped and, in a hysterical moment, I wondered what he was more mad about: me killing a vampire or drenching his precious establishment and patrons.

"What did you do?" he growled and as scared as I was that made me angry. I was defending myself! No way were some damn vampires going to attack me just because they were suddenly on top of the food chain!

"Let go!" I yelled, twisting my arms so that my hands were against his chest. I pushed, expecting him to catch fire like Mathias but of course that didn't happen this time. . . . No, instead, he flew backwards away from me, not very far but I pushed him hard enough so that he was sprawled on his back.

We stared at each other a moment in shock before I dipped down, scraping up my keys and forgetting everything else. My door unlocked I hopped in the car, jammed the key into the ignition. My tires squealed as I reversed, out of the parking lot, narrowly missing three cars.

Throwing the gear shift I peeled into drive, burning rubber away from that place. Frantic laughter bubbled out of my mouth when I looked in the rearview mirror, knowing Eric wasn't chasing after my car. He must have decided I wasn't worth running after when he had a bar full of anxious patrons and one dead vampire. Still that didn't stop me from doing one twenty down the road.

Twenty minutes later, I was still checking my rearview. What the hell had I done? My body was in such overdrive that I was bouncing in my seat, taping my fingers against the wheel. I wasn't normally a frenzied kind of person but now, my adrenaline was pumping, my breath leaving me in short gasps.

Again I glanced over my shoulder and was telling myself to slow down when I had to slam on my breaks.

A dog – no a wolf, appeared in the middle of the road, its eyes and white fur illuminated in my headlights. I jerked on the steering wheel and felt my jeep tip. It landed on its side and then tossed itself upside, flinging me around with it because how smart was I not to throw on my seatbelt in my desperate escape?

My car crashed into the side of a tree with me laying awkwardly on the roof. My pulse was slowing down and through blurred vision I saw the wolf approaching me. Looked like I was going to be his evening meal.

How ironic was it for me to escape vampires only to die minutes later in a car crash?

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><p><strong>AN: So I decided to fix this because I needed Eden to be taller. Here you go! I'll be giving you the second chapter today too!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of True Blood or the Sookie Stackhouse Novels. Everything belongs to either Charlaine Harris or HBO.**

**A/N: Hey! Oh wow I had such a big response to this story :D Shoutout to my new readers: KitaKat, x XRoweenaJAugustineX x, Cmusiclover92, Friggatriskaidekaphobia, strwbrybby, AnimeOtakuBara, FeatheredPhoenix, texasforever1028, and treewitch703! You guys are awesome! **

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><p>I sat up quickly, crying out at the flash pain that traveled up my side. One of my hands flew to my head as if that would help my pounding headache. I pulled my knees to my chest, trying to figure out why the hell I was in so much pain.<p>

That's when it all hit me: _Fangtasia_, setting Mathias on fire, Eric Northman, speeding for my life, the wolf, crashing my car. . . .

How the hell was I still alive?

I opened my eyes, blinking away the blurriness. The fist thing I realized was that I was in a hospital bed, the covers pulled up to my waist. In IV drip was in my arm, the machine next to it beeping. I checked the clock hanging on the wall and saw that it was four twelve.

How did I get here? Had Eric managed to find me and bring me here? Somehow, I doubted he was that nice. . . Still, I had about an hour to get to the safety of my home before Eric woke up. Fucking daylight savings time.

I was in the typical hospital gown, tied in the back, bare underneath, a bracelet around my right wrist that read 'Jane Doe'. I threw back the covers and patted at my legs but nothing seemed wrong. There was a cast around my left wrist but it didn't feel like how I thought a broken wrist was supposed to feel. It wasn't until I pulled the side of the gown away and peeled away the bandages on my stomach just under my ribs that I gagged in response. In my side, I could see stitches . . . but there was nothing wrong. It was as if some had just thought it would be interesting to sew into my skin. I touched it lightly, receiving that sharp little stab of pain again.

This was so messed up.

I pulled the IV drip from my vein and plucked off all the things connected to me, the heart monitor flat lining. I slid from under the covers, wincing when my bare feet touched the cold floor just as the door to my room opened and a nurse, an older woman, rushed in, looking horrified. When she saw me, she breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "What in God's name are you doing, child? You should be in bed."

"I really need to leave, ma'am, right now, I –" I started, backing up as she made her way towards me. She got close enough that I could read her name. Elma Travis.

"My left foot, you need to leave," she said, shaking her head and reaching for me and my covers. "Not after an accident like yours! I heard the car was totaled; you're lucky to be alive! Besides, you're knight in shining armor is here!"

"My knight?" I asked, my heart pounding painfully. What the hell was going on?

There was a knock on the door and I looked up, giving the nurse the distraction she needed to push me into the bed. Standing in the doorway was a man not much older than me. He looked strong, shoulders broad in the tan work shirt he wore, narrow waist in his blue jeans as if he were athletic and boy did he tower over that nurse. Geez, he was handsome. Black hair sat wavy on top of his head and he was almost rugged looking, what with the short beard and mustache combo but it made him that much more fun to stare at . . . not to mention the muscles showing through his shirt.

Green eyes met my brown, probably taking in the frantic look on my face and the obvious way I was pushing at the Elma's hands as she replaced the IV in my arm. "There we go! You've got yourself a little fighter here," she said with a wink in the direction the man.

His observing face shifted into a carefree one and his lips quirked into a slight smile. "It would appear so. Glad to see you're awake."

"This is sort of romantic don't you think?" Elma continued chattering away as she attached me back to my machines. "I bet your just dying to find out each other's names. It's just like one of my soaps! I leave you to it," she added, this time winking at me.

She bustled away, closing the door behind her but not before she gave the man's ass a nice once over and a thumbs up to me. The man moved to sit in the chair next to my bed. "Where were you trying to get away to so fast?"

I glared at him, knowing there was no way I could get all this stuff off again and make it past him _and _the nurse without getting hurt or having someone call the security guards. Then not only would I be stuck here, but I would be stuck here in handcuffs. "Are you here to keep watch over me or something?"

His eyebrow quirked a little. "I'm here because I wanted to check and see how you were doing. You're one hell of a lucky girl to have survived an accident like the one I saw.

The realization came quickly, despite the fact that my head felt as if someone had taken a hammer to it. "You brought me here?"

"Well I couldn't just leave you on the side of the road, could I?"

I pulled my knees to my chest, ignoring the pain in my side. "So, you're not here to take me to the vampires?"

The man in front of me looked incredulous. It almost looked as if he were worried I was in the wrong ward, like maybe they should move me to a padded room. "Vampires? What vampires?"

"Aren't you one of those 'day person'?" I asked, feeling the flush in my cheeks. "Someone who runs errands for vampires?"

"I'd be damned if I did anything for a fanger," he said, shaking his head. "Let alone run errands for one."

I didn't know many people who didn't refer to vampires with some sort of reference. There was obvious disgust and disdain on this man's face as if I had just insulted him. "Who are you?"

"Alcide Herveaux," he said, nodding his head. "Are you going to tell me your name or am I just going to have to keep calling you Jane?"

"How do I know you don't work for a vampire?" I asked, ignoring him.

"Look, if it makes you feel better, I've met a few, even worked for one but I don't like him," Alcide answered. "I'll admit I've run errands for him before, to pay off a dept but that's all done with now."

"Last night, how did you find me?"

"I was out for a run."

"So late?"

"I'm kind of a night owl."

I bit the inside of my cheek, watching him. Being a journalist, you come to learn the little quirks that occur when someone's lying. Sometimes they wouldn't look you in the eye, they twiddled their fingers or whatever they could touch, their voice hitched. . . . But Alcide's green eyes where intent on my brown, he was perfectly still, and his voice was straight. I tried to make myself relax but the fact that I was still here and not locked up tight in my house was unnerving. "Can you take me home?" I asked him, flinging my legs out from under the covers again.

Alcide's gaze was skeptical again. "I don't think that's a good idea. You were in an accident last night and –"

"I know, but I'm fine. See?" I stood up, bouncing on the ball of my feet. After a second's hesitation, I pulled the robe open slightly to show Alcide the weird sight that was my stitches. "And I don't think I can explain this to anyone."

"Holy –" Alcide was on his feet in an instant, staring at the stitches. His hand stretched out for a second, as if he wanted to touch it but he controlled himself, choosing to narrow his eyes at me instead. "No wonder the vamps are after you."

"What's that suppose to mean?" I asked, pulling the gown closed, frowning.

Alcide shook his head, looking disappointed and just a bit discouraged, angry. "You been drinking V? Is that why you're afraid? You selling it?"

"No!" I looked up at him. "Of course not! I wouldn't ever do –"

"Then explain that," Alcide said, gesturing to my side. "Matter of fact, why don't you explain how you escaped a car crash like the one I saw."

"I can't! Honestly, I don't know what happened! Damn it, this doesn't make any sense," I said more to myself. "Look, if you aren't going to help me I'll just figure out how to get hom on my own."

I turned away from him, reaching to pull the IV from my arm again. I never even thought someone would think that I would actually take drugs! But there didn't seem to be any other explanation for why I wasn't hurt. I –

"Don't," Alcide warned, reaching across to grab my good wrist, to stop me.

My mind went blank. Suddenly, I wasn't in the hospital anymore. . . . I was in the bathroom at _Fangtasia_ and Mathias was holding me against him, his hand sliding down my pants –

"Let go of me!" I yelled, placing my hands on his chest and pushing him away. Surprisingly, the big man stumbled backwards, looking just as shocked as I felt.

Everything was catching up to me at once, I realized as I slid down to the floor, the IV yanking itself from my arm but I barely felt it. I had looked death in the eyes at least four times in one night. First, with Mathias, and let's just purposefully not mention the attempted rape. Secondly, how had I managed to push Eric away from me? He's a one thousand-year-old vampire with the strength of a speeding freight train . . . I weigh 130 on good days and only got as far as benching 90 when I used to go to the gym. Thirdly, that car crash should have, at the least, rendered me paralyzed or something. Yet I escaped with little more than a scratch. Last, but certainly not least, that wolf had definitely been making its way towards me. I thought I should be wolf food.

Why the hell was this happening to me?

Alcide kneeled down in front of me, not the least bit mad, it seemed, that I had pushed him. In fact, he looked worried. "What happened to you?"

I was ashamed to say that I felt my eyes burning with tears. I blinked and they started to fall, a hot and steady stream down my cheeks. "I want to go home," I whispered.

Unexpectedly, he nodded. "Okay. Okay, I'll see what I can do."

The door flung open as Alcide was picking me up off the floor. Elma stood there, looking frantic again, watching us. "What in God's name is going on here?"

"She's just not feeling well," Alcide said and it wasn't like it wasn't the truth. "You think you could get her some water?"

"Oh, of course, sweetie," Elma said, giving him a kind smile. "How about you just tuck her back in and I'll go get that for you. Maybe some crackers too, to settle her stomach."

Alcide smiled back. "That would be great."

Elma cast me another worried glance, turning to leave the room. As soon as her back was turned, Alcide bent down, unplugging the heart monitor, removing all the things stuck to me again. I grabbed the slipper socks at the end of my bed, shoving them onto my feet but I needn't have bothered; before I could protest, Alcide was slipping his arms under my legs and back, lifting me up. I stiffened against him when his skin brushed against my bare thigh and I had to remind myself that he was someone that I could trust so that I didn't accidently set him on fire.

He started off at a jog, out the room into the circular ward, the nurses' desks and computers in the middle, and down the nearest hallway to the doorway marked 'Stairs'. He had just kicked open the door and was heading down the steps when I heard Elma yell.

I kept my arms wrapped tightly around Alcide's neck as we jogged down the stairs. I hopped he didn't think he had to carry me the whole way; I wasn't big or anything but being tall certainly didn't make you any lighter. I looked up at him, surprised to see he wasn't even breaking a sweat. Above us, I was pretty sure I could hear the sound of walkie-talkies and I had a horrible thought of them sending Alcide to jail and me to the mental health ward.

This was a bad idea.

Soon, though, we were bursting through an emergency exit on the first floor. Alcide looked around and started running towards the parking lot. In the distance I could see the sun setting in the horizon, casting a warm glow on us and the earth and the sight of it, the feel of it against my skin, had me feeling almost normal again. The world jostled for a moment as Alcide set me down next to a red truck that read "Herveaux and Son", digging in his pocket for his keys. As he helped me into the passenger seat, I looked up and saw a couple of security guards come rushing out the side and the front entrances, quite obviously searching the parking lot, looking for me and my 'kidnapper'. I watched Alcide as he quickly into the car, eyes on the guards. He looked at me for a moment, murmuring, "Stay low."

The engine roared and we were soon driving out of the parking lot and away, leaving LSU Health and Elma and the guards behind. I rose up in my seat, breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank you," I said. "I owe you a lot."

Alcide nodded, giving me a breathy chuckle. "I could just settle for you name."

"Oh, sorry," I mumbled. "I'm Eden Connor."

He nodded, letting go of the wheel with one hand to hold it out to me to shake. "Well it's good to meet you Eden Connor. So, do you want to tell me what happened last night? What's got you so scared?"

I looked down, playing with the hem of my hospital gown. "Not really."

"Thought not."

I caught a glimpse of myself in the side mirror but knew staring at it too long wouldn't change what I saw. My curls were pulled into a messy bun on top of my head and there were bags under my eyes, which were still dilated. I looked every bit of the hell that I felt.

We continued to drive in silence. I glanced at the clock after we had been driving for a while and saw that it was a nearly five. We were about ten minutes away from my house and the relief that flooded through me was almost painful. Around us, the scenery that had once been the city, tall buildings, lights dim but beautiful in the darkening sky was slowly changing to houses and those were appearing fewer and farther apart. I was used to this, having to drive this route to and from work every day, so I knew we were getting closer when the suburban houses, some kids still playing out in the street, transformed into trees. I mumbled directions to Alcide, trying not to fall asleep but I was definitely feeling more relaxed at this point.

He turned left onto my street and I pointed out the end of the long, dirt driveway to the right. He turned and started up the path to my house. I lived in an old two story Victorian, way too large for one person but it was my home. There was a basement, where I kept my washer and dryer, five rooms on the first floor, including the kitchen and the bathroom, and four bedrooms, five bathrooms, a small library, and a room that had once been a servant quarters on the second. It had belonged to my Aunt Lillian but she moved the deed into my name when she decided to move up North. My parents hadn't wanted it; they preferred the city but that didn't stop them from trying to pressure me into filling it up with a family.

There were more houses of the same kind on down the street, spread far apart, giving my neighbors and me plenty of landscape, our privacy kept by the trees that surrounded the houses. My driveway was lined with flower bushes that my Aunt had planted and expected me to take good care of. The house itself was painted a dark red, tinted with black, low-pitched roof, projecting eaves, and columns around the porch.

At this point in time, I was beginning to regret that second floor.

Alcide pulled the truck to a stop, turning off the engine. He looked over at me for a brief moment before he reached into his pocket, pulling out a familiar set of keys. "I pulled these from your car. Thought you might need them."

I took the keys, mumbling my gratitude again before I slid from the car, closing the door behind me. The sky was darker now, so I wasted no time stumbling up onto the wraparound porch to the arched mahogany doors. By the time my shaky hands had unlocked the door, Alcide was right behind me. He gave a low whistle when we entered the foyer; I was used to that being the general reaction I received when people walked into my house.

I felt safer here, stronger. I led Alcide through the foyer, past the grand stair case and straight across into the living room. The furniture was old in here but it had always been old. It was comfortable though and, as my dad always says 'if it's not broke, don't fix it.' Besides, the brown flower pattern sofa, three matching chairs, and the oak end tables went well with the light brown paint.

I plopped down on that sofa now, taking a deep relaxing breath before I looked up at Alcide, who was looking around the room. "Do you want some water, or something to eat?"

He frowned. "I'm okay for now. . . . Do you have a first aid kit or something?"

I pointed. "Back through the foyer and to the right in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom."

Alcide nodded, moving off in that direction. Sighing, I got up and headed through the door on my left that led to the kitchen. I entered the sunny room, walking over to the back door where my house phone hung on the wall. Samantha and Trina were probably hilariously worried. I needed to call them, now, before they did something crazy. I picked up the wireless phone, dialing Samantha's house number.

"Hello?" I felt guilty about how worried her voice sounded.

"Hey Samantha," I said, sitting down in one of the chairs. "It's Eden."

"'Hey'?" Samantha's voice was high pitched now, almost a squeal. I held the phone away from my ear. "Holy fuck, Eddie, you've been missing since last night and then you call and say 'hey'?"

"I'm sorry," I mumbled. "I should have called sooner. Is Trina there?"

"Damn right you should have called. And yes she's – hold on. . . . Oh, she says 'Fuck you, bitch'."

I couldn't help but smile. "Tell her I love her too."

"Do you need us to come over? Are you okay? What happened last night?"

"It's . . . really hard to explain." I looked up as Alcide came into the kitchen, holding the first aid kit and a bottle of alcohol. "Look, I have to go but I'll call you later and explain everything."

Before she could say another word, I hung up, knowing that conversation would last all night if let it. Alcide moved a chair closer to me, sitting down and reaching for me. I shied away. "What are you doing?"

"Well since you refuse to stay at the hospital and I've helped in your break out," he said, shaking his head, "it's become my responsibility to take care of you, I guess."

"Really, I'm fine. You don't have to –"

"Can you just sit still so that I can take those stitches out?"

I sighed frustrated. "You're one of those guys who doesn't listen aren't you?"

Alcide chuckled softly. "Yeah I guess you could say that. So sit still. This is going to feel weird."

I moved closer to him, trying not to look as embarrassed or weary as I felt. It had been a while since I had a guy over . . . not that this was really the same thing or for the same reason, but still.

As I turned to the side, biting the inside of my cheek, there was a knock on the front door. Behind me, I could practically feel the tension rolling off of Alcide . . . I actually think I heard him growl, low and quiet in the back of his throat. I turned my head to look at him and did a double take. Was it just me or had his eyes suddenly turned yellow? He looked back to me, standing and muttering, "Stay here.

Of course I wasn't just going to just sit here, not when he seemed all worried. So as soon as he left the kitchen, I followed him. Alcide barely spared me a glance but I saw the muscle twitch in his cheek as he pulled open the door. "What do you want?"

Eric Northman stood there in all his vampire glory, looking all powerful even in his jeans and wife beater hugging his chest. Despite the chill outside, he looked unfazed, if not just a bit disgusted. "I guess it was foolish of me to forget that you dogs don't have any manners. Besides, I'm not here for you," he told him, looking to me, the smile on his face almost predatory. "You're a hard one to track down, demon."

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><p><strong>An: SOOOOO! What do you think? I'm sorry for the long wait but I hope this made up for it! Let me know how you feel. As you can tell, I did rewrite it cause I didn't like it before. But here you go and I'll see you guys next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of True Blood or the Sookie Stackhouse Novels.**

**A/N: Hi There! S/o to my new readers: ImagineBetter3, Baloo18, Arathi.x, Evenlight, CapnJen, Day-Of-The-Dead-TattooGal, Caschick23, inkdeep, and batgirl3952! You guys are fantastic :D **

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><p>Eric was smiling at the confusion on my face and the obvious shock on Alcide's. He leaned against the door frame, looking me up and down. "Am I interrupting something? A game of 'doctor' maybe? Should I join?"<p>

Shit.

Not only was I still wearing a stupid hospital gown, but I was wearing a hospital gown in front of two incredibly handsome men. Angrily, I crossed my arms, dropping them when, at Eric's widening smirk, I realized that wasn't working. "How did you find me?" I asked, ignoring his crude comments.

"You leave a pretty easy trail to follow," he said, and left it at that.

"What do you want, Northman?" Alcide growled.

"Well, I was just trying to be kind. After all, Ms. Conner left the bar in such a hurry last night and I heard that a Jeep, matching hers, crashed, totaled actually. It would have been a shame to hear that you had died." The sarcasm in his voice was not lost on me and I glared at him. "But here you are, perfectly fine . . . unlike poor Mathias."

An icy chill settled over me and I looked down. I could feel Alcide's gaze on me as he muttered, "What's going on?"

"You mean she didn't tell you?" Eric faked shock really well. "Imagine that. Your little damsel in distress act seems to work rather well, Ms. Conner."

Part of me wanted to yell that it wasn't an act but that wouldn't make me look good at all. "I was defending myself."

"How very noble. Now are you going to invite me in? It's pretty impolite of you to leave a guest outside in the cold."

I looked up at him, standing there oh so cool and cocky and it made me angry, jittery again and before I could stop it, the words spilled out of my mouth like flames. "Who the hell do you think you are showing up on my porch like you're a fucking god? Now get out of here, fanger, before I decide to scorch you alive too."

Eric jerked forward, placing both hands on either side of the door. The playfulness that had been on his face disappeared and he all but showed his fangs, causing all of my sudden bravado to flash away, just like yesterday. Though he couldn't get in, Alcide still stood tensed, poised as if to jump between me and Eric. The vampire didn't even spare him a glance. "I have little patience for you, demon. Killing a vampire in my establishment? Threatening me? I should kill you."

"For protecting myself?" I asked incredulous, taking a slight step past Alcide, who held out his arm. "Mathias tried to r – he bit me, drank my blood! I was just trying to get away!"

Eric's eyes widened and his smile became cocky again. He leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. "You don't . . . . Well, that's priceless.

I was tired and frustrated and part of me just wanted to collapse right here but, instead, I just frowned. "Are you going to tell me what it is that you want or are you just here to play games?"

"I do like games, but no, I think I'll wait till a better time when you are more hospitable and your company less - smelly," he muttered, shooting a glance at Alcide who growled again.

"Don't bother me by coming back here," I said, shaking my head.

"I'm afraid you can't get rid of me that easily, Ms. Conner. I'll be back when you realize who or, should I say what, you actually are." With a slight bow in my direction, he turned on his heel and disappeared into the night.

Alcide slammed the door shut and I moved to go sit on the stairs, trying to calm myself down, taking deep even breaths. Alcide stood by the door, staring at me. "So –"

"I'm screwed." I looked up at him but he was blank faced, leaning back against the door with his arms crossed. It was obvious that he didn't care anymore so I stood up moving back through the living room into the kitchen. He could see himself out, if he was just going to stand there.

Me, however, I needed to figure out how to spend my last couple of days alive. Once I stepped outside after dark, because there was really no way out of doing so, Eric would probably kill me. I couldn't hide in this house forever and even if I could, I'm sure Eric would figure out some way to get me. Nope this was it.

I opened the first aid kit and picked up the scissors, trying to figure out how I was going to get the stitches out by myself but my vision was blurred and my hands shaky. I leaned against the table, squeezing my eyes shut.

'_I'll be back when you realize who, or should I say what, you actually are._'

What in the in the world did that even mean?

"You're going to hurt yourself." I looked up at Alcide who was suddenly standing right next to me. He reached over, taking the scissors and I let him. I didn't even know this guy but, for some odd reason, I trusted him. I let him make me sit down in the seats we had vacated pulling aside my nightgown when he picked up the rubbing alcohol.

"So what are you?" I asked, trying to distract myself as he pressed the cotton ball onto my side. Eric had called him a dog and smelly. From the way he said it, I was sure it wasn't just some sort of common insult.

Alcide seemed completely focused on his task as he took the tweezers and gently grabbed the end of the top stitch, lifting the scissors, but still he said, "You caught onto Eric's hints, I guess."

"Sort of." I clenched my hands at the strange feeling of the string sliding through my skin. "But I also just assumed that if there're vampires and, well, whatever the hell I am, that they are other things."

"You'd be right." Alcide glanced up at me quickly, before going back to what he was doing. "I'm a Werewolf."

"Huh," I said, because there wasn't much else you could say when someone tells you that they were some sort of supernatural creature you recently assumed didn't exist. "Will you show me sometime?"

"You've already seen my wolf form."

The pieces fell together quickly again and I shook my head. You wouldn't happen to have been the wolf who –?"

He sent me a grin. "Thank you for not running me over. Even if you almost killed yourself doing so."

"You're so welcome," I muttered dryly.

Alcide chuckled but then he became serious. "So what happened to you?"

I felt calmer now. Maybe it was because I was distracted. "And to think that all this happened because of a damn interview."

So I told him everything. I glanced up at the clock periodically because it was something else to do, watching five fifty-three p.m. turn into six twelve. It was a definite relief when Alcide pulled the last part of the stitch out of me, getting up to go throw it in the trash can by the back door. I looked down at my side, watching in amazement as the holes healed over one by one like they had when Mathias –

"So a Werewolf?" I asked, trying to distract myself from my own thoughts and not wanting Alcide to ask me questions that I couldn't answer. "How did that happen? Did you get bit?"

"No," he said with a smile. "I was born this way but it kind of comes out at puberty. My father's two-natured."

"Two-natured?"

"Well, there're different kinds. There's werepanthers, werelynxs, things like that and there's Shifters who can change into any animal. But Werewolves are more common. All the two-natured can change at will but not when you are bitten. When you are bitten, you have to change at the full moon but when you're born two-natured, it's just more of calling."

I nodded, trying to look like I was taking this all in stride but I didn't know how well that was working. Alcide smiled. "If you think that's amazing, you'd be surprise to know what else is out there."

"So what am I?" I asked, looking down at my hands.

Alcide leaned back in his seat, staring at me. "As far as I can tell, you're human but, I have to tell you, setting things on fire, healing, boost of strength like what you said you had are not normal human abilities."

Tell me something I didn't know. "So whose normal abilities are those?"

His face was serious again. "Eric called you a demon."

I stared back, shaking my head. "It was hard enough for me to accept vampires and I'm still trying to wrap my head around two-natured. . . . Now you want me to believe that demons exist to?"

"They are part of the fae. . . . You know, fairies, elves, trolls, things like that. They can create fire, run faster than any human or animal, and they have a powerful touch. I haven't met a lot of them, just a few but they weren't even full blooded. Is one of your parents –?"

"No!" This was too much information at one time. I couldn't comprehend any of this. "Of course not, my parents are regular humans."

"Are you sure?"

I started to answer yes but I couldn't. My parents, Edith and Jack Conner, were not my birth parents. A few weeks after my twelfth birthday, they told me I was adopted. It had been a strange conversation, very adult-like and I respected them more for telling me. It didn't change much. As far as I knew, I had been left in the hospital by my real parents whoever they were so why should I care that Edith and Jack didn't give birth to me.

So, no, I didn't know if my parents were normal or not.

But it was possible that Edith and Jack did.

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><p><strong>AN: Hey everyone -_- This isn't a very long chapter after making you wait so long and for that I apologize. If you did like it, let me know what you think and next week, I promise that it'll be better. I don't particularly like this chapter but I've been working on it for about a week now and my brain isn't function. So again, I'm sorry and I'll see you next time. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of True Blood or the Sookie Stackhouse novels.**

**A/N: Hey! S/o to my new readers paddyfoot92, amaterasu1988, mandy-chick00, MistyGreyCloud, DrAnime203, blondie2, amran, Millster86, Happy Face21, Within The Stars and Danielle89! **

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><p>The sound of knocking woke up me up entirely too early the next morning. I had had all intentions on sleeping until everything that had happened over the last two days disappeared, though I knew that was impossible. I got out of bed, every bone in my body creaking in protest. Glancing at my beside clock, I saw that it was 8:30 a.m. Who could be knocking on the door this early?<p>

I wondered if it was Alcide. I had sent him home yesterday after he had removed my stitches, even though I hadn't wanted to be alone and he had seemed hesitant to leave me alone. He had promised to check up on me today though I doubt he meant in the morning. He didn't strike me as the kind of man to sleep in but he could probably tell that I was that kind of woman.

Samantha and Trina should be at work about now. I had called the editor's desk and left a message to make sure he knew I was not coming in. I assured him that I would work at home but that was a lie.

So that only left one other person.

"Coming!" I called out going down the stairs, tightening my robe around my waist.

The person continued to knock, banging their fist against the door. I rolled my eyes, hurrying to the door and yanking it open.

"Finally!" Edith Conner pushed her way in, already on a rampage like normal. "I thought I taught you better than to leave a guest out on your porch! I haven't heard from you in days, young lady! And where's the jeep? You begged and begged your father for that car. I told him you wouldn't take care of it. This house is a mess. When's the last time you cleaned up in here?"

"Hello, momma, nice to see you too," I mumbled, closing the door and locking it. Taking a deep breath I followed after her, through the living room and into the kitchen where she was peering into the refrigerator.

"I see you haven't been grocery shoppin'," she was mumbling as I walked in and sat at the table. "You livin' off of frozen dinners again? And all that time I spent teachin' you how to cook."

As much as I needed to talk to her, I honestly didn't want my mom here right now. I had been hoping that I could take a moment, get my thoughts straight before I dropped the bomb on her. I don't think any adoptive parent really wants their child to ask about their biological family. Now, watching her bustle around the kitchen, I was noticing just how not alike we were. Forget physical features; those were obvious. Neither my mom nor dad had my curly hair and mom's eyes were brown where dad's were hazel. Both of them were shorter than me as well. Dad used to try to get me to sign up for basketball but that never took.

But my mom was uptight, paranoid and bordering on obsessive compulsive. In fact, most of her side of the family was like that, all of them with this old-fashioned, Southern mentality. If there was anyone I was like it would be Dad but, considering his love of sports and activity and my lack of wanting to do anything of the sort, we were worlds apart.

So now, as I stared at her, watched her hurrying around the kitchen mumbling about how I was obviously not taking care of myself, I spoke, interrupting her. "What haven't you told me about my biological parents?"

The glass that she had been cleaning invisible dirt off of dropped to the floor, shattering. I stood, moving towards her. "Momma?"

"How clumsy of me!" she muttered, her voice sounding shaky. "Get me the dustpan, won't you dear?"

I grabbed it from the side of the refrigerator, handing it to her. She kneeled down to sweep the glass shards into the pan and I knelt down in front of her. "Momma?"

"I swear kids these days, just don't know when to be grateful," she muttered, ignoring me. "Always askin' questions and demandin' things. When I was younger, we knew how to treat our elders with respect."

"Momma, I'm not trying to disrespect you," I said as she stood up, moving to the trashcan. My mother tended to only have the ability to hear what she said, never what others had to say. It was one of her many annoying qualities.

She dumped the glass shards, turning to glare at me with her hands on her hips. "Haven't I raised you right? Haven't your daddy and I taken good care of you, hmm? Haven't we loved you and watched over you?"

"Of course you have!" I replied, frustrated. "But I need you to tell me about my parents!"

"_We_ are your parents, Eden!" my mother practically screeched. "Edith and Jack Conner are your parents! Those – those _people_ , that _woman _who gave birth gave you up like you were _nothing_! Why would you want to know a damn thing about them?"

"Because weird things are happening to me!" I yelled back. "Things I can't explain or understand and I need to know why!"

My mom stared at me for a moment before she sunk down into one of the kitchen chairs, which was the first sign of something wrong. Usually she would go out of her way to use the dining room. I barely used the dining room, even when I had company. It was too big, too spacious, not comfortable at all. "Get me the sweet tea, won't you dear?"

Sighing, I moved to the fridge, grabbing the pitcher of sweet tea. Mom always turned to sweet tea when she was stressed. It was like her version of alcohol. I set the glass in front of her, sitting down across from her. She took a sip, twisting the glass between her hands. "I need you to understand that I couldn't have children and I would do _anythin'_ to have a child. There's . . . there's a whole world out there, Eden, full of things besides the vamps. I – I met a woman, a witch if you can believe it, who told me she could get me a baby. I wasn't sure about it, I was scared but then I saw you and you were so, _so _beautiful. I knew I had to have you but there was a catch. You – you weren't normal."

I leaned forward in my seat. "What do you mean not normal?"

My mother stared at me a while, her face sad. "Your eyes . . . they were like coals and every so often they would glow with this red tint. Touchin' you was like puttin' my hands under scaldin' water. The witch she said – she said she had taken you from Hell but that my love for you would keep you pure and good. She cast a spell over you and your eyes turned that beautiful shade of grey and you were my normal little baby girl."

She reached across the table to take my hand but I leaned back, away from her. "How could you have never told me any of this?"

The hurt expression vanished from my mom's face as she pulled her hand back, crossing her arms and shrugging. "I wasn't allowed to. The witch said it was my job to keep you away from things and situations that would unleash your – your true nature, and that included knowin' where you came from. You cannot imagine how scared I was when the vamps came out. The witch warned me that they might aim to use you, take you away from me if they ever found out what you were."

"Is that why you didn't want me to go away for school?"

Mom nodded. "I was afraid that something would happen to expose you to the vampires. . . . But something's happened now, hasn't it. . . ."

When I didn't respond, she sighed. "Do you know why I named you Eden? I thought if I changed your name, to something holy and pure it would do the same for you. And it worked for a while but I suppose I couldn't keep you hidden for long."

I didn't know how to respond to that. "What was my name before?"

"Chthonia," she muttered, shaking her head. "It means 'of the underworld'."

"'The underworld?'" I repeated, my voice coming out like a whisper as all the breath left me. "Are you trying to say I'm – what, evil?"

My mom reached forward and grabbed my hands. This time I let her, as shaken as I was. "I'm trying to say that you need to be careful. Stay away from the vampires and keep whatever's happening to you a secret."

There was a knock on the door which she got up to answer, stopping briefly to check her makeup in her reflection in the toaster. "Now who could that be this early in the mornin'?"

I stayed sitting, glad that she was gone but also worried. I most certainly couldn't tell her about Eric now; she'd probably lock me up in a padded cell to keep me safe. No the best thing to do is keep her and dad out of this, keep _them _safe.

My mom's voice broke me from thoughts, getting closer. "Had I known Eden was expectin' visitors I would have made sure she had prepared somethin' for you to eat. Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

Oh no.

I recognized that tone in her voice. She had sunken back into her Southern Belle hospitality mode which meant that there was a man at the door, not only just a man but a _handsome_ man.

"No ma'am, thank you," Alcide murmured, his voice deep and rich, something my mom would surely noting along with his height and muscles. I could practically hear the gears turning in my mom's head: wedding plans, what our future kid would look like, baby shower plans, baby names. She'd probably be thinking about how nice those gorgeous green eyes of his would look in a baby with my skin tone, the curly black hair that kid would have. . . .

I looked down at myself. This would be the second time in as many days that he would see me with little to no clothing on and I couldn't help but notice my body was tingling slightly at the fact. I wondered, a little too briefly, if I should run up stairs and put something on. Alcide said that I could move faster than normal humans, maybe I could –

Alcide and my mom walked into the kitchen, my mom sending my eye code that I guess she was expecting me to interpret but I wasn't watching her. Instead my gaze was directed on Alcide who was watching me as well, a slight smile on his face. God he was one fine-looking man . . . and he had really come back. I think a part of me hadn't actually expected him too. I mean, it wasn't like he was obligated to watch over me just because I didn't run him over.

"Shame on you Eden," my mother was saying as she moved to the fridge in hopes of scrounging up something to cook which she probably could; I had seen that woman make a casserole out of one bag of noodles, tomato paste and a block of cheddar cheese. "You didn't tell me you were going to have company. And look at you, dressed so scantily in front of this gentleman caller! You go upstairs and get changed immediately. I do apologize, Mister –"

"Hervauex," my werewolf friend respond, sitting in the chair next to mine. "You can just call me Alcide."

And honestly, I didn't think he minded it so much that I was 'dressed so scantily'. I don't know if he knew I noticed but I watched his eyes dip twice, roaming up my legs to the edge of my robe which stop just mid-thigh. Usually, I would have been embarrassed by the attention; I didn't like being flirted with and tried not to get too close to too many men . . . but I liked Alcide's attention. But to placate my mother, I crossed my arms over my chest and stood up, moving out of the kitchen to go upstairs and change. I could have sworn I felt Alcide's eyes on me even as my mother prattled on in the background.

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><p><strong>AN: I honestly just wanted to give you guys an update! It's been practically six months! I am so sorry and I hope this makes up for it. Hopefully I can get another update out next Thursday. See you!**


	5. Chapter 5

**HELLO ALL!**

**I just wanted to inform you that I was soooo sorry that I haven't updated in a while. What with school and work everything has been soooo busy. **

**I wanted to let you know that I am taking the time to finish off stories one-by-one now because that seems a lot easier. I've already finished one story and another one that I was working on has about two chapters to go. I hope you can all be patient with me and I promise to update my stories ASAP! **

**Thank you my fabulous readers!**

**Sunidlight**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of the Southern Vampire Mysteries. **

**A/N: S/o to my new readers murgatroid-98, kcdeas, Mary Potter77, Maxinejp, Blueyedraksha, capmom.**

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><p>By the time I got back downstairs, dress in tight jeans and an over sized sweater, mom had managed to pull together a decent looking chicken salad. Seriously, if there was one thing that I could say about that woman it was that she was truly a wonder in the kitchen.<p>

She had moved Alcide into the dining room like I thought she would. Mom loved to show off the house that had never actually been hers. She grinned at me now, lowering her voice to a whisper though I'm sure Alcide could still hear her. "He's _gorgeous_! Where have you been hiding that fabulous creature?"

Oh if only she knew just how much of a creature he was. "We just met yesterday . . . my, er, Jeep broke down and Alcide helped me get home."

"Oh, handsome and a gentleman! What does he do? How much money does he make?"

"Mother!"

"Okay, okay! Here I made the two of you a salad. Go in there and entertain your guest before he realizes he 'has somewhere else to be'." She thrust the bowl into my hands, grabbing her purse from the back of one of the kitchen chairs. She walked to the dining room door, waving in that little Southern way that she had. "Goodbye Mr. Herveaux! I really must be getting' on out of here. It was such a pleasure to meet you!"

I heard him push back the chair, probably standing to shake her hand or something. "It was good to meet you too, Ms. Conner."

He reached her and she giggled like a school girl when he took her hand in hers. With her free hand, mom swatted Alcide lightly on the chest. "I do hope we get to see you around here more."

Alcide smiled but I think it was more for my benefit considering I was pretending to gag behind my mom's back. "That'll depend on Eden here."

"Oh of course." My mom turned and gave me one of her famous pointed looks, obviously telling me I better not mess this up. "You two have a good day then!"

With one last sickening smile at Alcide she bustled out of the kitchen towards the front door. Alcide and I exchanged a glance, waiting for the door to close. "Oh Mr. Herveaux! Thanks so much for towin' the Jeep back!"

I looked to Alcide, frowning and he shrugged, confusion written all over his face even as he shouted back, "You're welcome."

I walked as fast as my sore body could allow me to the door. Mom was waving from her Honda Accord as she sped out the drive. I waved back absently but my mind was focused on the Jeep in front of me, _my _Jeep. I knew it couldn't be mine though; this one was obviously brand new, the forest green paint glittering in the sun. There was an envelope in the windshield which Alcide moved out to get. He lifted it up to his nose, sniffing it and shaking his head as he handed it to me. "I don't recognize the scent."

I turned the note over in my hand. My name was scrawled in elegant print on the front. I tore it open and the keys fell out, landing by my feet, along with a note. I unfolded it, frowning at the script.

_Little Demon Girl,_

_Consider this a peace offering. _

_However, expect that I will be_

_expecting something in return_

_and I will be coming to collect._

_Eventually._

It was signed Eric Northman.

I handed the note to Alcide and he growled deep in his throat. "Probably should have known he'd do something like this."

"I don't want to owe him anything," I said, shaking my head as I moved back in to the house. "He can have the jeep back."

"He won't care if you drive it or if it sits there and rusts," Alcide said, following me. "He's going to ask you to do something."

"Like what?" I walked into the kitchen, taking my mom's salad and shoving it into the fridge. I had found the sight of the Jeep, no matter how gorgeous it was, made me lose my appetite.

"Anything." Alcide shrugged , leaning back against the counter, crossing his arms. "It'll be a job or an errand. . . . Whatever he needs you to do."

I leaned back against the counter next to him. "So what did you have to do for him?"

Again, he shrugged. "Watch after this woman, a telepath."

I glanced up at him. "A woman?"

Alcide chuckled, looking down at me. "I bring up the word 'telepath' and you don't even ask about that."

"What happened to her? The telepath?" I asked, ignoring him.

"We don't talk anymore." I could tell from the way he said it that that was the end of the conversation and so I let it drop. You had to learn, as a journalist, when not to push things too far.

"Am I another one of your errands, Mr. Herveaux?" I asked, turning towards him.

"What that's supposed to mean?" he asked, looking amused once more.

"It means that guys don't normally spend so much time with a girl they don't know for a lack of a reason."

Alcide laughed, this slight little smirk coming to his face. I liked the way he smiled and moved, it was so casual and yet slightly predatory, like an animal was sitting just below the surface . . . which I suppose it really was. "Don't they?"

I rolled my eyes, resisting the urge to swat his arm like something my mom would do. "You know what I mean."

Again he chuckled, shaking his head. "Maybe I'm just a nice guy who owes a woman for not running him or …."

"'Or'?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow slightly.

The werewolf turned to face me, leaning one hip against the counter as he studied my face for a moment with those green eyes of his and I stared back, trying to ignore the blood that was obviously rushing to my face. He smiled again, a soft, warm smile. "Maybe I just want to be here."

Okay, this guy . . . . You learn in life that there are two types of attractive men: The men who know they've got it and the men who don't really get it. The men who know they are incredible to look at tend to use that to their advantage and get what they want that way. The men who don't realize how impossibly gorgeous they are, were the charming ones and Alcide was definitely charming. Did he realize how drop-dead handsome he was or was he honestly just the sweetest guy in the world?

I think I'm going to go with the latter.

And, surprisingly, I found myself flirting back! I never did that, not really and never on purpose. I was a busy girl on a busy track and flirting callously led to many unnecessary stops. But that didn't stop me from smiling back at him and saying, "Well I'm glad you're here then."

There was this undeniable connection between Alcide and me. Whether it was lust or something different it was there and I found myself wanting to act on that feeling though I had no clue how to start. Maybe I could just reach forward and put my hand on his and –

The doorbell rang and I mentally cursed anyone who was at the door. I finally try to take a chance at being bold and daring but nope! I shook my head, trying not to stomp my feet as I left the kitchen. The person knocked on the door this time and I called out, "Hold your horses!"

I reached the front door and pulled it open. In the drive behind my Jeep and Alcide's truck, a long black limonsinue stood, shining in the bright sun. On my porch, two people stood waiting. One was an older man, a big, round man in a formal suit. Next to him stood a woman who could have been about my age. She was pretty, spiked red hair and a slim figure. She was shorter than me but her presence was enormous, especially with the red tights, high heeled black boots and the striped, black and white off-the-shoulder shirt she wore. When my eyes found hers, she grinned with sharp, white teeth. "Hitherehowyadoin'?"

I blinked, trying to process that sentence in my head. "I'm well, thank you. Can I help you?"

"Forgive us for intruding on you without notice," the man said with a kind smile.

"ShelookslikeGlad," the woman said with a sad look in her eyes.

"Indeed she does."

I felt Alcide come up behind me but he didn't seem tense or ready to fight, just wary. "Desmond. Diantha."

"Mr. Herveaux!" Desmond reached forward to shake my friends hand. "It is a pleasure to see you. I'm glad to see that Chthonia has some company."

My whole body froze at the sound of that name, _my_ real name. It became hard to breath and for a moment, part of me wanted to just slam the door shut, rewind time back to just Alcide and me. . . . But another part of me was exulting, like I had just been waiting to hear what my name sounded like from someone's lips. "Who are you, exactly?"

"Forgive me," Desmond said, with a slight nod of his head. "I am Desmond Cataliades and this is my niece, Diantha. Eric Northman told us about you and we just –"

"Eric Northman." Despite the Jeep, I wanted nothing to do with that vampire. I wanted to just forget that I had ever stepped into the supernatural word (Alcide excluded). "Why would he send you to me?"

"Why to teach you of course!"

"Teach me what, exactly?"

Diantha grinned that sharp-toothed grin of hers and Desmond smiled, this business-like smile. "To be yourself. To be a true demon."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: WHEW! So it's been a while. I hope you like this chapter! It's kind of short but I wanted to get you something. I'm kind of mixing book and tv series here, because the demon race is exclusive to the book HOWEVER, I prefer TV Alcide personality to the book. So there you go! See you soon :D **


	7. Chapter 7

**SOOOOOO hi guys. I want to first and foremost thank you for reading this and following it. I have absolutely no inspiration for this story anymore **** It was really fun for a while but now I just don't know what to do. I'm trying to finish my fanfiction stories so that I can start on a book I have been trying to right but I don't want to write this story anymore. I wanted to offer it up to anyone who might want to continue it. I'll give you the basic idea I was going for but otherwise it's yours.**

**Thanks for understanding!**

**Renee Cannon**


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